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Chapter 8: The Mole
[The Information Technology Department’s Daily Communication Group]
SAM: "Is the Intelligence Department out of their minds? Why are they conducting an access investigation right when Facility 031 has a containment breach? We’re already overwhelmed with dispatching support, and now we have to babysit these big shots?!"
D Point & She Jie Shi: "Probably because of that mysterious account from the other day."
SAM: "So what if someone sent over a file? It’s not like it cost them their lives. And after all this running around, they’re making us work overtime. Is there no justice in this world???"
I Want to Go Home: "Orders came down from leadership—what can we do? Let’s just investigate. If we find any unauthorized access, let the Field Department handle it. Let them fight it out; we’re not taking the blame for this mess."
---
[Mud Truck] vanished along with all the information.
Robin refreshed the page several times, even rebooted the tablet in a desperate attempt to restore communication—but to no avail.
Climbing the seemingly endless staircase connecting the lower floors, she clutched the heavy tablet device tightly. Breathing hard, she pushed herself upward step by step.
The stairs felt interminable but offered a rare safe haven, isolated from the chaos outside. For the first time since the disaster began, Robin had a moment to reflect on everything that had happened.
First and foremost, this was no prank. Setting up such an elaborate ruse just to mess with a student engineer didn’t make sense—and those rampaging plants were definitely not special effects.
Facility 031 was real. It was a secret base designed to contain supernatural entities.
When her mentor mentioned this assignment, he only said, “This will be highly beneficial for your future career planning.” The credits offered were astronomical, and signing a confidentiality agreement was mandatory.
Robin assumed the facility was backed by some massive, shadowy organization.
So, who exactly was [Mud Truck]?
Even though she hadn’t finished reading through the pile of “walkthrough materials,” it was clear from his ability to seamlessly connect to the server room equipment, toss her reams of data, and expertly guide her escape that Mud Truck knew Facility 031 inside out.
He was likely someone high-ranking within the organization—perhaps even one of its leaders!
Robin couldn’t fathom why such a prominent figure would take an interest in her. Among the dozen or so classmates here, all junior engineers, many were better students or had influential backgrounds. There was no way Mud Truck shared all those secrets purely out of kindness or curiosity.
Not once did Mud Truck instruct her to contact other survivors inside the facility. If he were truly part of the leadership, wouldn’t he direct security personnel or other staff instead? Surely, they’d be more reliable than a random temp worker like her.
Something wasn’t adding up.
She’d read the absurd containment protocols for the Doomsday Seed. But no matter how wild a plant might be, it couldn’t possibly breach so many layers of safeguards on its own.
And the final defense system hadn’t activated either...
Suddenly, it clicked.
Everything made sense now.
There was a mole inside the facility!
Someone had orchestrated this containment breach from the inside!
That explained why Mud Truck avoided contacting anyone else inside the facility and focused solely on her—an outsider with no ties to the place. With no prior knowledge of the facility and no vested interests, she was the perfect “investigator”!
And the sudden loss of communication? That must’ve been deliberate sabotage by the mole.
Yes, it all fit together perfectly!
Mud Truck’s remote guidance must’ve been discovered by the mole, who then severed communications to continue their sinister plans within the facility! This escape route, ostensibly designed to help her flee, was probably meant to lead her straight into whatever they wanted her to uncover.
With this newfound purpose, Robin’s fear momentarily gave way to excitement. Even her climb up the stairs took on a renewed vigor.
For now, the stairwell remained safe. After slipping her pants back on, she paused during a brief rest to examine the tablet.
The task assigned to the group of engineering students was to build a new local network system. Did that mean Facility 031 currently operated on an internal network?
As an electrical engineer, it was perfectly reasonable for Robin to carry small tools like screwdrivers and hex wrenches in her pockets. From the moment she received her toolkit, she’d instinctively stashed her most-used gadgets away.
Taking advantage of the secure environment, she flipped the tablet over, crouched on the stairs, and began dismantling it.
She couldn’t just sit idly while the mole acted. As Mud Truck’s proxy inside the facility, she needed to contribute somehow!
If she managed to fix this thing, it would be a major accomplishment!
The back panel of the tablet was sealed tightly. Even after removing the screws, it refused to budge. Robin wedged her screwdriver into the seam, prying it open with two firm clicks. Sighing in relief, she lifted the cover, ready to get to work—
But at the sight of what lay beneath—a tangled, brain-like mass resembling slices of human cortex, its structure winding and pulsating with faintly throbbing veins—she slammed the cover shut and tightened the screws as fast as possible.
What a mistake. How could she forget she was dealing with a facility housing demons and monsters?
Of course, their electronics wouldn’t be normal.
Wait... if the servers mounted on the walls also housed this kind of... thing, what were the welding torches and saws in the toolbox for?
Thinking about how she’d been carrying this... whatever-it-was on her back the entire time sent chills down Robin’s spine. Yet, the tablet remained her only hope of communicating with the outside world. After a brief internal struggle, she reluctantly wrapped it in her jacket and lugged it back onto her back.
Damn it. The mole had won this round.
Finally, the endless staircase ended. The eerie green sign reading [B2 Level] marked the halfway point of her escape plan. Progress had been made, but she longed to see the words [Emergency Exit].
Pressing her ear against the door, Robin turned the ship-wheel-style handle and nudged it open with her shoulder. Shielding both the tablet and her chest, she squeezed through the narrow gap.
The air on B2 was fresh, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of B5. The lighting was bright white, and the corridors were free of those cursed plants. Detailed maps and signs lined the walls, and further down the hall stood three figures in black uniforms...
They looked like colleagues of the unfortunate guard she’d encountered earlier—similar uniforms, better gear—but why were their guns lying on the floor?
Her gaze lingered on the trio for a split second before shifting to the plaque on the wall labeled [CVA-C-888 Containment Chamber — Level 4 Biohazard]], then to the open containment room door nearby. Her eyes darted back sharply.
At that moment, the stairwell door slammed shut behind her with a dull thud.
The three soldiers turned toward the sound.
Under the harsh fluorescent lights, their vacant eyes and grotesque, vein-riddled faces were unmistakable. Trails of dried blood streaked from their mouths, noses, and eyes, staining their chests. Their movements were stiff as they raised their arms and lurched toward Robin with guttural screams.
A modern person well-versed in zombie movies, Robin didn’t hesitate—she bolted.
Three undead horrors pursued her relentlessly.
At first, Robin ran clumsily, throwing every ounce of energy into sprinting forward. Soon, she realized the zombies couldn’t catch up to her, though she couldn’t shake them off entirely. Slowing slightly to conserve stamina, she glanced around, searching for signs of living humans.
Where were the others in the facility?
Help! Someone!
Surely, someone should’ve stayed behind to deal with these monsters?!
The corridors on B2 were wide, with few containment rooms. Most spaces appeared to be offices, alongside armories, employee lounges, and activity areas.
Nearly all doors were left ajar, evidence of a hasty evacuation. There was even a slice of cake laying overturned on the floor.
As she ran, something felt off.
Why were the footsteps behind her growing louder?
Peering over her shoulder at the next corner, Robin nearly stumbled in shock
.
The number of zombies following her had swelled to an overwhelming degree.
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